The New England Patriots are expected to lose their defensive play-caller for the second time in as many offseasons.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Friday evening that the Miami Dolphins have “narrowed the focus” of their head-coaching search down to New England’s Brian Flores.

Flores, who has served as the Patriots’ de-facto defensive coordinator this campaign after Matt Patricia became head coach of the Detroit Lions last February, was the first of Miami’s six interviews in wake of Adam Gase’s New Year’s Eve exit.

Dolphins special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains were the in-house candidates to interview for the vacancy. The Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy, the New Orleans Saints’ Dennis Allen and the Dallas Cowboys’ Kris Richard joined Flores on the out-of-house list of candidates to do so.

The ball now appears to be in the frontrunner’s court.

No agreement can be made official between Flores and New England’s AFC East rival until after the team’s playoff run concludes. No deal is in place yet, either, according to multiple reports.

The Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers also met with the 37-year-old Flores, who has operated as linebackers coach since 2016, last weekend during New England’s first-round playoff bye. All three organizations have since finalized their hires.

As for Flores and the organization he is currently a part of, they will cross paths with the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

Flores previously spent four seasons under the title of safeties coach for New England. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and a two-year starter at linebacker for Boston College, Flores has also worked as a scouting assistant, a pro scout and as a coaching assistant in all three phases dating back to his Foxborough arrival in 2004.

“Every year is the same for me,” Flores said of the change in responsibilities in May. “My goal as a coach is to help our guys become the best version of themselves – on and off the field. That’s my goal. Every year is kind of the same that way, and I work hard to achieve that goal.”

The departure of Flores would leave the Patriots with no clear-cut successor as far as defensive play-calling duties go. Cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer would be the longest-tenured on that side of the ball. Defensive line coach Brendan Daly, having signed on in 2014 after two stints with the Minnesota Vikings and one with the then-St. Louis Rams, is another name to monitor.

“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Flo,” Daly told reporters of Flores on his conference call Tuesday. “The time that we’ve worked here, I’ve really enjoyed. I think extremely highly of him and I’m very happy for him to get those opportunities.”

Should Flores take his opportunity with the Dolphins, another potential changing of roles could involve head coach Bill Belichick’s oldest son, Stephen, who is finishing his third season as the Patriots’ safeties coach after accruing four seasons as a coaching assistant.

But while promotions would be made from within, outside options shouldn’t be ruled out for a defense that ranked seventh in the league in points allowed per game in 2018 and posted its highest interception tally since 2012.

Just whom Flores would bring to Miami Gardens along with him is unclear, too.

At this time, the Patriots will go forward as scheduled.

“Right now, I’m looking at it as trying to get ready for the playoffs, trying to get ready for the Chargers,” Belichick recently said of the interview process on WEEI’s Ordway, Merloni & Fauria. “That’s what I focused on last week and that’s what I’m focused on now, is doing the best job that I can for the team that I’m coaching, and I think everybody else on our staff is in the same boat.”

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who garnered interview requests, as well, confirmed earlier this week that he plans to return for next season.

I’ve written about the NFL and the New England Patriots since 2012, and my work has been featured on Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NEPatriotsDraft, MassLive, 247Sports, CBS Sports and SB Nation’s Pats Pulpit over that span. I am a graduate of the University of New Hampshi...